Vapor-engine.



-W. G. JOHNSTON. VAPOR ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1910. RENEWED AUG. 31, 1912.

1,964,656,, Patented June 10, 1913.

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v w. e. JOHNSTON.

VAPOR ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAYZ, 191C. EENBWED AUG. 31, 1912.

Patented June 10,1913.

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W. G. JOHNSTON.

VAPOR ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY2,1910. RENEWED 11116131, 1912.

Patented June 10, 1913.

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WILLIAM G. JOHNSTON, F VJOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF SALISBURY, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

VAPOR-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1910, Serial No. 558,838. Renewed August 31, 1912. Seriai 1V0. 71.5 1. 35.

To all whom, if may concern Be it known that I, \ViLLIAM Gr. JOHN- STON, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVoodbury, in the county of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Engines, of which the following IS a specification.

' that vibration is reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view; Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is, a face view of one of the partitions which, together with the cylinder and piston, forms a compression chamber; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View, showing a four cylinder arrangement, and one in which the explosions take place alternately in each set of cylinders.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 designates (in Figs. 1 and 2) two cylinders which are disposed in opposing relation, end to end, and have their innei; ends coupled together. For this purpose, said inner ends are provided with outstanding flanges 5 through which are passed suitable fastenings 6. Said flanged inner ends are also cut out to provide bearings 7 for a journal box 8, formed of two or more sections that extend entirely across the cylinder members and are clamped between their inner ends as shown. T hecentral portion of this box is enlarged slightly as indicated at 9, in order to reduce friction on the driving shaft 10, that is journaled in said box. The outer part of the journal box is recessed as indi cated at 10' for a purpose that will become apparent farther along. The shaft 10 extends entirely across the cylinder members and is provided outside of the same with oppositely set cranks 11. Mounted on the ends of the shaft are suitable fly wheels 12, one or .both of which I may or may not, employ, as the exegencies of the case may require. WVith this arrangement, it will be evident that theshaft is entirely incased in a boxing that bridges the interior of the cylinder members and consequently if the mounting for this box and the joint between the cylinder members are thoroughly packed,

no leakage can occur at the juncture toe-'- shaft bearing.

The numeral 13 designates two oppositely acting reciprocatory pistons to which are form outstanding gudgeons 15 which project'through longitudinally disposed slots 16 formed in opposite sides of the cylinders at. Mounted on said gudgeons are pitman rods 17 which are engaged with the cranks 11 of the driving shaft 10.

A compression chamber 18 is formed between each piston and a partition '18, and an explosion chamber 19 is formed between the outer end of each piston and the cylinder head 20, which head is bolted tothe cylinder by bolts 21, in the usual Way. The explosion chambers 19 are preferably being provided with inlet ports 24 and outlet ports 25. The partitions 18 in conjunction with the cylinders and pistons, form a compression chamber for each cylinder. These partitions are located one at each sideof the box 8, and are fixed in cutaway portions 19 formed in the inner ends of the cylinders, and are spaced away from the recessed portion of the box 8, sufiiciently to permit free passage of fuel charges to all parts of said partitions. A fuel receiving chamber 20 is formed between the partitions 18 and adapted to communicate with each compression chamber through a series of ports 21 arranged in each partition, near the periphery thereof, which ports are normally closed by oppositely opening disk check valves 22 which are supported upon studs 22 and held normally seated by spiral springs 22 which are interposed between the surfaces of the valves and adjustable washers upon the stud. The fuel receiving chamber'20 is supplied with fuel through a valveless main supply port 27, leading from any desired form of carbureter, not shown, said main-supply port being in communication with a passage 27 made in the Wall of eachcylinder and having a port 27 opening tween the two cylinder members or at the" into each cylinder, each port being adapted to be covered and uncovered by the inner attached tWocross rods, the ends of which i water-jacketed as shown at 23, said jackets ends of the piston 13, as will be clear by reference to Fig. 1. Each cylinder is further provided with a longitudinal passage 28, having ports 29 and 30 that respectively communicate with the compression chamber 18 and the explosion chamber 19 of the cylinder. The ports 29 and 30 are covered and uncovered by the, piston in its movement. The piston is provided with a passage 30 which may be of anysuitable or required size and opens into the compression chamber at the forward end of the piston, and has a port 31 adapted to move into and out of register with the port 29, so as to deliver at proper times, a compressed fuel charge from the compression chamber 18, through the passage 18, to the explosion chamber, when the port 30 is uncovered by the rear end of the piston. Leading from the explosion chamber is an exhaust port- 32 which is uncovered by the piston, the port 32 being uncovered immediately after the charge is exploded. In order to prevent the charge from passing directly from the port 30, toward the exhaust port 32, a deflector 33 is preferably carried by the rear end of the piston.

The recessing of the outer surface of the journal box 8 provides greater space between said box and the partitions, thus permitting the fuel charge, when drawn into the fuel supply chamber, to pass to all parts of the partitions and enable the charge, at proper times, to be drawn into the compression chambers, through all of the inlet ports in the partitions. The inner ends of the pistons may be recessed to receive the ends of the standards 22 during the movement of the pistons.

Briefly described, the operation of the engine is asfollows. Assuming the two pistons as moving outwardly, the valves 22 will open and the mixture from the carbureter will rush into the fuel receiving chamber 20*, and through the ports 21 into the compression chambers 18. Fuel will also flow through the passages 27 a when the ports 27 of said passages are uncovered by the pistons. Upon the movement of the pistons 13 toward each other, the port 27 is closed and the fuel thus held in the compression chambers is compressed until the ports 31 of the two pistons register with the ports 29 of the passages 31. The compressed fuel then simultaneously passes through said passages into the explosion chambers 19 and as the pistons again move outwardly away from each other, the ports 30 being closed, the charge of fuel will be compressed in the explosion chambers 19, inasmuch as the exhaust ports 32 are also closed. At a predetermined time. the charges are ignited by the devices 26, thus driving the pistons again inwardly and starting the next cycle of the engine. As the exhaust ports 82 are again opened, the exploded products exhaust therethrough while new charges enter through the ports 30.

In the modification, 5, I have illus trated a four-cylinder engine, embodying the same internal construction as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Hr wever, in this arrangement, the pistons do not move toward each other in opposite directions, but move back and forth, as if positively coupled together, and explosions take place in each set of cylinders, alternately, and are timed so that a thrust of the pistons in each set of cylinders will be applied to the driving shaft with each one-half revolution of said shaft, thus applying within one revolution of the shaft, the energy of all four pistons, but at different times. This arrangement however, does not in any waynecessitate a change of the internal construction of the engine. In this modification, the numeral 34 designates the driving shaft provided centrally with a crank 35, which is connected by pitmen 36 to cross-rods 37 which extend through slots 38 in the inner walls of the cylinders and connect the pistons of each set together. In..-

operation, in this form of engine, the valves in one set of cylinders will be closed and a charge being compressed While the valves in the opposite set of pistons will be open to permit charges in the opposite set of cylinders to be drawn into said'cylinders, otherwise, the operations that occur in delivering the charge from the compression chambers to the explosion chambers, are the same as those described with relation to Figs. '1 and 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the structure is such as to completely eliminate, or make unnecessary, the use of carefully timed valves'for controlling the admissionof the fuel and the exhaust of the exploded products of combustion, thus greatly simplifying the engine and making it more reli- 1 able in operation. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the piston and parts connecting'the same with the engine coun terbalance each other and therefore obviate the disagreeable and undesirable feature of vibration in an engine of this character.

I have found in practice that the provision of the passage 27 and port 27 communicating with the main supply, is a distinct advantage in that through it, is drawn an additional and secondary charge of fuel, when the port 27 is uncovered by the piston in its backward movement. The fact of uncovering this port also, in a certain de-"' gree, dimlnlshes the force of the suction or" vacuum forming tendency of thepiston, at" ust the point where the pistonis about to begin its inward motion, tln s permitting',

the springs to moreflquickly operate the] valves22 to close the ports in the partitions, thus preventing back-pressure in the insects main fuel supply chamber, and at the same time providing, by closing all of the ports in the partitions, for highly eiiicient compression.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine, having in combination opposed cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a partition in each cylinder, a fuel-chamber between the partitions, an inlet-port in each partition for admitting a charge of fuel between each partition and piston, and ports for the passage of each charge of fuel to an explosion-chamber at the rear of each piston.

2. An internal combul tion engine, having in combination opposed cylinders a piston in each cylinder, a partition in each cylinder, a fuel-chamber between the partitions, means for supplying fuel to said chamber, an inlet-port in each partition for admitting a charge of fuel between each partition and piston, an explosion-chamber at the rear of each piston, and ports for the passage of each charge of fuel to each explosion-chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with opposed cylinders a shaft extending across between the same, pistons operating in the cylinders and having crank connections with the shaft, spaced partitions located on opposite sides of the shaft within the cylinders, and having inlet ports, means for introducing fuel between the partitions, and outwardly opening valves controlling the ports in the partitions.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of oppositely disposed cylinders having oppositely disposed slots in their sides, a piston operative in each cylinder and provided with gudgeons projecting through said slots, a fuel supply chamber formed between the pistons, said chamber being divided into a compression chamber for each cylinder, and a fuel supply common to both compression chambers.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of oppositely disposed cylinders having oppositely disposed slots in their side walls, a piston operative in each cylinder and provided with gudgeons projecting through said slots, a fuel supply chamber formed between the pistons, lpartitions dividing said chamber into compression chambers, one for each cylinder, a fuel supply common to both compression chambers and valve controlled ports in each partition through which fuel is admitted into each compression chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of oppositely disposed cylinders provided with oppositely disposed slots in their side walls, a piston operative in each cylinder and provided with gudgeons pro jecting through said slots, a fuel supply plosion chamber upon the inward stroke of the pistons.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of oppositely disposed cylinders provided with oppositely disposed slots in their side walls, means for connecting the cylinders together, a piston operative in each cylinder and provided with gudgeons projecting through said slots, a fuel supply chamber formed between the pistons, means for admitting fuel to the cylinders at the front end of the pistons, a bearing box arranged within the fuel supply chamber, a driving shaft journaled in said bearing box and provided with cranks and pitman connections between said cranks and gudgeons.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with opposing cylinders, of a piston operative in each cylinder, provided with a passageway therethrough, having a port opening through the periphery of the piston, spaced partitions located at the inner ends of the cylinders and forming between them a fuel supply chamber, and also forming a compression chamber for each piston, a fuel supply port for admitting fuel to the fuel supply chamber, suitable valve controlled ports in each partition for controlling the admission of fuel from the fuel supply chamber to the compression chambers, branch passages in the walls of the cylinders adapted to communicate between the fuel supply port and the cylinders, and passages adapted to communicate between the compression chambers and explosion chambers, to deliver fuel charges from the the compression chambers and explosion chambers through the pistons upon the inward stroke of the said pistons.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with opposing cylinders, of a piston operative in each cylinder, provided with a passageway therethrough, having a port opening through the periphery of the piston, spaced partitions located at the inner ends of the cylinders and forming between them a fuel supply chamber and also forming a compression chamber for each piston, a fuel supply port for admitting fuel to the fuel supply chamber, suitable valve controlled ports in each partition for controlling the admission of fuel from the fuel supply chamber to the compression cham bers, branch passages adapted to communi- 1 means for introducing fuel between the partitions, and means for conveying the fuel charges from the compression chambers to the explosion chambers.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of oppositely opposed cylin-' ders, oppositely operating pistons in said cylinders, spaced partitions within the cylinders, provided with inlet ports and formingwith each piston, a compression chamber', 'nieans for introducing fuel between the partitions, passages arranged in the walls of the cylinders and pistons, whereby the fuel charges are conveyed from the compression chambers to the explosion chamrs. 12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with opposing cylinders, of a piston operative in each cylinder and pronoeeese vided with a passagetherethrough having ports opening through the periphery of the piston, a fuel supply chamber located at the inner ends of the cylinder, a'fuel supply port for admitting fuel to said chamber, valve controlled ports in the walls of said chamber for admit-ting fuel from the fuel supply chamber to the cylinders at the forward ends of the pistons, a branch passage in the wall of each cylinder adapted to communicate between the fuel supply port and the cylinders, and passages adapted to communicate between the compression chambers and the explosion chambers to deliver fuel from the compression to the explosion chambers through the pistons, upon the forward stroke of said pistons.

13. In an opposed cylinder two-cycle combustion engine, the combination of oppositely disposed cylinders, pistons operating in said cylinders, crank and rod connect-ions out-side of the cylinders, means for introducing fuel between the pistons, and ports for the passage of a charge of said fuel to the explosion chamber back of the piston.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses FRANCIS B. DAVIS, ALEXANDER ROBERTSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

' Washington, D. C. 

